With the defending champions resting all of their stars and the NCAA Tournament providing tough competition, the NBA on ABC hit a likely record-low in the overnights.
Cavaliers-Clippers scored a 1.1 overnight rating on the latest edition of ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime, down 70% from Warriors-Spurs last year (3.7) and almost certainly the lowest NBA overnight ever on a broadcast network. A complete record of NBA overnights on broadcast was not available, as figures for some telecasts were missing.
Prior to Saturday, the lowest overnight on record for the NBA on a broadcast network was a 1.2 for Suns-Kings in 2007.
The previous week’s Warriors-Spurs game, which was absent nearly every star on both teams, had a 1.8. That game did not face the NCAA Tournament. ABC’s previous season-low was a 1.3 for Clippers-Bulls and Bulls-Celtics earlier this month.
The 1.1 overnight is also unusually low for any major sport on primetime broadcast television. No edition of MLB Baseball Night in America on FOX, which has struggled in the ratings for years, has fallen below a 1.2 overnight. The lowest primetime NHL overnight on NBC is a not-much-lower 1.0, set by Rangers-Flyers in 2015 and Red Wings-Avalanche last year.
Last year’s ABC game between the Cavaliers and Clippers, an afternoon matchup on NCAA Selection Sunday, had a 2.1.
(wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 3.20)
